Signal Fire
by Kerosene Desire
Summary: Ruby Rose has thwarted Roman Torchwick at every twisting turn & Cinder begins to take notice. Her interest piqued, she is determined to make the girl her protege, but what lengths will she to go to in order to ensure the girl's loyalty? Team RWBY struggles to hold itself together & Weiss fights to keep her feelings at bay. Can they save Ruby in time, or is all hope lost?
1. The perfect words never crossed my mind

**Signal Fire: Prologue**

**In The End**

They were surrounded...

They were surrounded, with an army of Grimm swarming the cramped warehouse, and their team was dead in the center of it all. Could their chances have been any more bleak?

Weiss, Blake, Yang and their chosen backup - Team JNPR - fought tooth and nail against the horde of Beowolves and Ursi; ducking and weaving beneath sharpened claws, striking their opponents down whenever the chance presented itself. The clashing of metal against hardened bone intermixed with the sporadic burst of gunfire, the roar of monsters matched by the furious war cries of the hunter trainees. The group of adolescents gave the fight their all, but even that was not enough, and despite their best efforts, they were beginning to fall back.

Yang bit back a cry of pain as she was caught by surprise, a massive paw slamming powerfully into her side. Thankfully her aura had activated just in time, protecting her from the brunt of the attack, but the blow would most certainly leave a terrible bruise come the following morning.

_'At least, that's if we even _survive_ until tomorrow morning,'_ she mused, bitterly. Realizing that they would never reach their intended target in time if the tables weren't turned soon, she fought her way over to Weiss, who was currently freezing what appeared to be an Alpha Beowolf before leaping into the air and slicing her blade straight through it. The blonde took a brief moment to truly appreciate the other girl's skill and ability, as well as her fighting spirit. Eyes that were usually cold and calculating were now narrowed with dangerous intent, gleaming madly as the Schnee heiress fought like a woman possessed.

_'And with good reason...'_

"Weiss!" she called, throwing her arm over an Ursa's neck and grabbing tightly at its' scruff with the other. Firing off a few rounds, she used the recoil to increase the strength of her pull and yanked her hand back, ripping its' head clean off in the process. A bright spray of blood splattered against her jacket but she paid it no heed; clean clothes were at the very bottom of her current list of priorities.

"Weiss!" she called again, this time gaining the girl's attention.

"What is it?" the other girl called back, thrusting her rapier through an Ursa's heart before incinerating it with fire.

"You need to get to Ruby, and you need to get to her NOW!" she ordered, loading a fresh round of ammunition into her weapon's chamber. "We'll hold them off until Ozpin arrives with reinforcements!"

Although Weiss ached to have Ruby once more by her side, she faltered when she realized that she would essentially be abandoning her team and classmates. Blake, who was close by, easily picked up their conversation and sensed Weiss's worries. Cutting in, she placed a reassuring hand on the white haired girl's shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"We can handle it," she encouraged with a small smile. She felt her heart give a twinge of guilt, remembering her last conversation with their missing leader before everything went to hell and back, but was quick to console herself on the matter. _'Its okay. Everything will be okay once we get her back, and then I won't have to worry about keeping such stupid promises to begin with...'_

"See? We'll be fine," Yang chimed in, thrusting her arms forward and mowing down an oncoming Beowolf. "Just get to Ruby, okay? I'm trusting you, Weiss. You bring her back to us! You bring my baby sister back…" Her voice choked with emotion at that last statement, but she quickly reined them in, wanting to keep her full focus on the fight at hand.

Knowing that it would be useless to argue any further, Weiss finally consented. "How do you suppose I get past all this?" she asked, waving her hand at the chaos and destruction that lay siege to their surroundings.

Blake and Yang shared a brief look, silently communicating through sight alone. A moment later, both gave the other a nod of consent before the cat Faunas shadowed away, leaving Weiss to wonder what exactly her teammates had in mind. In the near distance, she could see Blake begin to clear a path near the exit and was just about to ask Yang what was happening when she felt herself being lifted up off of the ground.

"Wha-...?"

"Sorry about this, Weiss, but its the quickest way to get you out of here," she apologized, though something told the Schnee heiress that Yang was not nearly as sorry as she sounded. Before the swordsman could get out a proper reply, she was being flung across the room at high speed. Just as she was about to fly headlong into the bony back of an Ursa Major, Blake leapt to her rescue, leaving several shadows behind as distraction before carrying her out into the thankfully Grimm-free hallway.

"Go," said Blake, urging her to move. She made to run back into the fight, but the unexpected look of fear that flashed across Weiss's face forced her to stay put. "Weiss? Weiss, what's wrong? Why aren't you going?"

"S-sorry… its just… I've been thinking. What… what if Ruby… doesn't want to come back…" Her voice was soft, broken beyond words, and tainted by endless longing.

It was somewhat unsettling for Blake to see Beacon's perceived 'Ice Princess' in such a vulnerable state of mind, but she had to remind herself that a lot had changed in the past few months. After all they'd been through, it was a surprise that Weiss was still even with them; she had, after all, been the most affected by it. Desperate to return to her partner's side, but unwilling to leave the poor girl in such sad spirits, Blake did the only thing she could: she hugged Weiss.

"Stop worrying so much about the details and go after your girl," she murmured, smirking in slight amusement as she felt the other go stiff at her comment. "And if she doesn't want to come back, then too bad. You'll just have to drag her sorry ass back to Beacon, kicking and screaming if it comes to that. Got it?"

There was a momentary pause, before… "I think you've been hanging around Yang too much."

Blake smiled fondly at the name of her partner - and perhaps more - before releasing Weiss from the embrace. "Perhaps," she replied, coyly. "But enough of that. We have a mission to complete and you're the only one who can do it. Yang and I will try to catch up with you as soon as we can, but right now, you just need to go!"

"Right, yes, of course," Weiss answered, still attempting to save face after the Faunas' teasing. "Be careful out there…" Casting one last glance at those still left in the fight, she said a silent prayer for their safety before dashing off, hoping that she wasn't too late to save their friend.

_'Hold on just a little longer, Ruby! I'm coming for you...'_

* * *

Cinder couldn't help but let a triumphant smirk plaster itself across her face as she watched the security feed, reveling in the teenagers' desperate struggle to survive. Beside her, a disheveled looking Ruby chewed anxiously at her lip, eyes glued to the screen in front of them. Every so often, she would release a horrified gasp before sighing in relief, having seen her friends and teammates just barely miss becoming the Grimms' next meal. Soon, however, it became too much for her to bare and she turned to the older woman, eyes swimming with fear and unshed tears.

"Please… please, you have to stop," she begged, her throat hoarse from an earlier coughing fit.

The dark haired beauty raised her brow, half amused and half annoyed at the request. "And why should I?" she asked, deciding to entertain herself with the scythe wielder's plea. "I really don't think you're in the position to be making any demands, sweetheart."

Ruby's emotions were divided, torn between complete and utter loathing for the woman that stood beside her, and the deep concern she held for her friends' well-being. Unable to keep the malice from her voice, she spat out, "You can have me! I'm yours! Do whatever the hell you want with me! Just let them go, you sick bitch!"

"Why… why, you ungrateful little brat!" Cinder exclaimed, appalled by her words.

The next thing Ruby knew, she was doubled over, reeling in pain as her body registered the sudden attack. Retracting her fist from Ruby's gut, Cinder sneered as she looked down at the injured teen. "What makes you think you have the right to speak to me in such a manner?" she seethed, placing her heel atop the girl's chest and kicking her to the floor. "There is no room for negotiations, Ruby. You cannot offer yourself in their place because you _already belong to me!_ Do you understand that? I am your master, and nothing you say or do will ever change that! You _will_ serve me and you _will_ like it!"

The temperature in the room seemed to skyrocket as Cinder flared her aura, angry flames bursting to life in her outstretched hands. "I truly thought that you were finally coming around, but it seems that I was misguided in my belief. It looks as if I'll just have to continue beating the sense into you," she sighed, not an ounce of remorse in her voice. "I suppose that saying is true, after all. Old habits die hard. Hmm. But don't you worry my dear, they _will_ die… even if I have to kill them myself."

Ruby instinctively winced, her already broken body curling in upon itself in a desperate attempt to protect her vitals from the upcoming blow. Shutting her eyes tightly, she awaited the pain that was sure to come, but jerked them wide open when a familiar voice cried out.

"Get the _fuck_ away from her!" it roared, furiously.

Like a bat out of hell, Weiss burst into the room and charged at Cinder, her weapon glinting dangerously as it sliced through the air at her. With lightning speed, her blade ripped and tore into the unsuspecting woman's skin, only the strength of her aura preventing them from becoming lethal blows. Unrelentingly, Weiss poured all the anger, frustration, and heartbreak she had experienced these past few months into the one attack, giving Cinder no room for retaliation. Her numerous years of training were instantly thrown out the window, caring not for the grace and finesse her usual style entailed; instead, she was focused on one simple task: to cause Cinder Fall as much pain as physically possible.

"W-Weiss…" Ruby called, weakly. She watched in a mixture of adoration and horror as the Schnee girl brutalized the older woman; and although she was secretly rooting for her friend, she knew that this beating would only serve to further incur Cinder's wrath. "Weiss, please, n-no! You can't be here! You have to get back to the others and leave! Weiss, please… please! WEISS!"

Unable to ignore the terrified cries any longer, Weiss slammed the pommel of her rapier's handle into Cinder's forehead, effectively knocking her unconscious. Securing her in a thick blanket of ice as a cautionary measure, the older girl hurried back to Ruby's side, feeling her gut wrench at the poor condition that she was in. Her beautiful face, with its usually pristine pale skin, was now marred with angry bruises, and blood was caked alongside her cheek as it seeped from a nasty gash to the temple. Her clothes were burnt and in complete tatters - looking little more than dirtied rags - and her left wrist was bent at an odd angle, an obvious sign of fracture.

"Weiss…" she whimpered, her vision blurring from all the pain.

"Shh… its okay, Ruby. Its okay now, I'm here," Weiss cooed, pulling the girl's head into her lap and stroking softly at her hair. Despite the battle that still raged on around them, Weiss felt herself practically melt, all the anguish she had experienced finally dissolving now that she had Ruby back, safe in her arms.

"Weiss, please… you have to leave…" she whispered, locking eyes with the older girl.

Even though their current situation was less than optimal, Weiss couldn't help but smirk as she replied sarcastically, "Okay, yeah. Sure. We'll just turn around and go. Not like we fought a horde of Grimm to get here or anything."

"Oh, god. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," said Ruby, feeling her eyes begin to sting with warm tears, guilt ripping at her heart. "This is my fault… its all my fault! But you need to get out of here... you need to leave before its too late… Cinder is too dangerous…"

"Cinder? What Cinder? Oh, you mean the one I just pounded into the ground and encased in ice? That Cinder?" Weiss replied, somewhat smugly. After all that woman had put her through; after all she'd put _Ruby_ through… it felt good - perhaps a little too good - to finally give the _bitch_ what she deserved.

"Oh, well isn't that precious," laughed a heartbreakingly familiar voice. Ruby tensed, her eyes widening in fear, while Weiss felt an eerie chill run up and down her spine. "Its adorable how you actually think you've gotten the better of me, it really is… but I'm eons ahead of you in skill, power and ability. You gave it a good shot, I'll give you that... but in the end, you never really stood a chance."

"Weiss, please.. get out of here," whispered Ruby, forcing herself into a sitting position and shoving the other girl behind her.

"No. I'm not going anywhere," Weiss replied stubbornly, gripping tightly to her uninjured arm. "I came here for you and I'm not leaving unless you leave with me!"

"Weiss…" Shivers of fear rippled throughout Ruby's body, but the fear she felt was not for herself. She saw the sickeningly sweet smile on Cinder's face and knew exactly what was to come, having been on the receiving end of such an expression many times before. Desperate for an out, she clambered for a shard of broken glass; part of the window Weiss had shattered upon her mad entrance.

Even if she was in top condition, Ruby knew that Cinder would still easily overpower the both of them if they attempted to fight back, and her concern for Weiss's safety would never allow such a thing to happen. Although she knew that there would be no way for them to win against her in a physical fight, time recently spent with the fire lady had repeatedly revealed her one weakness: no matter the stakes, Cinder _hated_ to lose.

"I'm done," she breathed, bracing herself for what was to come. "You can't have me, and you can't have my friends! I'm done!"

Knowing that she was the proverbial 'prize' to Cinder's game, Ruby shot an apologetic look at her partner before lurching forward, thrusting the sharpened edge deeply into her gut. Twin cries of sorrow and fury filled her ears… and then everything slowly faded to black.

* * *

**A/N: So, are you confused yet? Haha, sorry if none of this makes much sense.. but its not supposed to! At least, not yet. The story doesn't exactly follow proper chronological order, as we begin at the climax of the story, flash back to the beginning (next chapter and onward) and then move on to the 'resolution'. I apologize for the quality of my writing; I'm a bit rusty (okay, perhaps a little _more_ than rusty), so its rather lacking. Hopefully, though, its decent enough to have at least caught your attention!**

**Also, just a heads up: I'm pretty new to the world of RWBY, and I only know as much as I've seen from the actual episodes. Any tidbits given out on social media sites like twitter or whatnot... I don't follow, so my knowledge only goes as far as what I've gathered from watching. **

**Anyway, I hope to see some reviews! It would really be appreciated! **


	2. Cause there was nothing in there but you

**Signal Fire: Chapter One**

"I'm done," said Ruby breathlessly, and Weiss felt her heart leap into her throat as she identified the peculiar object in her hand. "You can't have me, and you can't have my friends! I'm done!"

Weiss was unaware that she was even screaming until it registered in her mind that Cinder was screaming just as loudly, though her cry was one of unbridled rage, as opposed to her own miserable wail. The heiress threw herself onto Ruby's limp form, which had slumped forward lifelessly, sobbing as she yelled for the younger girl to wake up.

"Ruby, please, no! Don't do this!" she wept, cupping her cheeks in her hands and pressing desperate kisses upon her face. "Ruby, this isn't funny! Get up, please! Ruby! RUBY!"

To her never ending sorrow, there was no reply…

Suddenly, Ruby was wrenched from her grasp as Cinder leapt forward in a howling fury.

"No!" she shrieked, lifting the dark haired girl by the arms and thrashing her wildly from side to side, shaking her broken body as if it were little more than a rag doll. Cinder's eyes lit with rage when Ruby continued to remain still, feeling whatever self control she had left quickly slipping away. Clearing a nearby desk of its' supplies, she threw the girl on top of it and summoned a flame to her hand.

"No!" she yelled again. She shook uncontrollably, body trembling with the force of her anger, as she yanked the damned shard of glass from Ruby's side and cauterized the wound. "You belong to _me!_ You don't get to die unless _I SAY SO!_ Wake up, you stupid child! I command you! Wake up!"

No answer. Nothing.

Cinder shot Weiss a hateful glare, a crazed expression on her face as she placed her palms on Ruby's chest and began applying compressions, the sound of ribs cracking with every forceful thrust filling the otherwise silent room. "This is all your fault!" she growled, pulling her hair to one side as she tilted the girl's head up. Two breaths and she was back to compressions, madly attempting to resuscitate the lifeless teen.

From her spot on the floor, Weiss could only watch on in stunned silence, unable to move; unable to speak; barely able to breathe... Ruby was gone…

'_This c-can't be happening! It… it just can't! This isn't how its supposed to end! We… we never even got a chance to...'_

How? How had it all come to this? Why couldn't things have been different? Why couldn't the world have just left them alone? Just months ago, they were preparing to begin their second year at Beacon; the only worries on their mind should have been surviving another one of Professor Port's outlandish stories, or getting through Professor Oobleck's class without losing their heads. But no… the world was cruel and their fates unforgiving…

As Cinder continued to pound the girl's chest, Weiss let her mind wander, reminiscing on all that had taken place. So much had happened, and in such a short amount of time… memories flooded her shattered mind, taking her back to when things were simple, back to when things were so carefree…

Back before their lives had been turned upside down… back to when it all began...

* * *

**[Beacon Academy (several months earlier)]**

"Ahh~! It feels so nice to be in our old room again!" Ruby cheered, sighing wistfully as she pushed open the door to their dormitory.

"Yes. Back to cramped quarters, one shower, and sleeping in death traps for beds," Weiss snarked, dreading the process of recreating their team's sleeping arrangements from the previous year. Although she had admitted to wanting bunk beds as a child, the Schnee heiress was not too keen on the ones her friends and teammates had built out of the spare items they'd found lying around. Which was why this year she had come prepared…

"Charles, please get to work," she ordered, clapping her hands as one of her family's many servants stepped forward to deal with the situation. In one hand he held a large toolbox, the tools hidden inside clanging loudly as it jostled to and fro, and under both arms he carried several planks of hardwood.

"Yes, Ms. Schnee. Right away," he promptly replied, kneeling to the ground and setting the supplies down.

Yang and Ruby pouted the instant they realized what he was doing, having looked forward all summer to rebuilding the bunks; even going so far as to design several different layouts to be voted upon by their teammates. Blake, on the other hand, sent a silent thank you towards Weiss, having experienced the same terrifying realization that on any given night, she could be squashed to death by one of the sisters. Weiss, on her part, could only smirk in amusement.

"What are we supposed to do now?" whined Ruby, dropping her bag next to the door. "We can't unpack our things and we'll only get in his way if we try to start decorating…"

"We could do a grocery run," Blake suggested, her eyes landing on the mini-fridge, one-burner stove and microwave that sat nestled into the corner of their room - their pitiful excuse of a 'kitchen'. "The airships are still active until tonight, so we can make the trip to the city, grab some stuff, and then head back. Hopefully uh… Charles… will be done by the time we get finished?"

"I should be done in no more than an hour or two, ma'am," he replied courteously, as he began sawing the wood into more manageable pieces.

"Then its settled!" Yang chirped, throwing her arms over Ruby's and Blake's shoulders. She would have included Weiss in the impromptu embrace as well, but she quickly faltered at the 'don't even think about it' look in her eyes. Even one as brave and reckless as Yang knew not to mess with the Schnee girl when she didn't want to be. After all, what was that saying again? Let sleeping dogs lie? Never tickle a sleeping dragon? Something about sleeping animals… Well, whatever it was, she knew not to push her luck when Weiss was involved.

"Okay, lets get a move on, team!" shouted Ruby, breaking away from her sister's grip. Thrusting her hand forward, she pointed in the direction of the hallway and ordered, "Team RWBY, moving out!"

Yang, and even Blake, mock saluted their leader and fell into step beside her as they marched out of the dorm, earning several strange looks from the other students moving back in. Weiss could only sigh in quiet exasperation, embarrassed by her team's antics, and reluctantly followed after them. This was going to be another long year…

Thirty minutes later, the four girls ambled casually down the sidewalk of downtown Vale, headed to the nearest supermarket for their much needed supplies. Along the way, they made a verbal list of things to buy, but it quickly escalated into an argument over what they wanted versus what they actually needed.

"How can you possibly say that cookies are not a vital source of nutrients!" Ruby shouted, disgruntled by the notion that her favorite treat was anything but good for you.

"Uh, maybe because it consists of nothing more than chocolate and sugar?" Weiss retorted, her perfectly shaped brows knotted tightly in frustration.

Ruby scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah? Then where does chocolate come from?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, it took Weiss several moments to register what she had asked before briskly replying, "The cocoa bean, duh!"

"Yes, and where does the cocoa bean come from?" Ruby continued, a mischievous glint flashing across her eyes.

Now Weiss was beginning to get suspicious, but nonetheless offered a hesitant, "The cocoa tree," in reply.

"Exactly! And the cocoa tree is what, _hmm?_ A plant!" she exclaimed, victoriously. "Chocolate comes from the cocoa _bean_, which comes from the cocoa _tree_, which is nothing more than a _plant_. Aka… vegetation! Which has the word vege in it… y'know, like vegetables! Sooo... as far as I'm concerned, that makes it just as good for you as salad!"

Weiss's mouth flapped open and close in disbelief, looking much like a fish out of water as she desperately attempted to come up with some sort of remark. Even a year into their partnership, and she was still grasping for straws when it came to the younger girl's poor excuse for logic. Eventually, she could only splutter a remark of, "That's not how it works, you dunce! That's not how _any _of it works!" before huffing in irritation and stomping ahead of the group.

Yang watched the two go at it before cackling loudly at the other girl's expense, clutching her stomach as she began to get cramps. Next to her, Blake valiantly tried to hide her own amusement but failed miserably, her lips twitching upwards into a humorous grin.

'_Those two really are something,'_ she mused silently.

Ruby could only watch her go with a childish pout, having hoped for a better reaction from her partner. But as the supermarket came into view, she visibly perked up and skipped ahead, pulling a shopping cart out of the stack. Giving the ground a few, hard kicks, she placed her feet onto the lower storage rack and rode gleefully through the automatic door.

"Wheeeee~!"

"Ruby Rose, you overgrown child! Get down from there!" was Weiss's immediate cry of indignation, mortified that she was associated with such a clutz, let alone having to be seen in public with her. Rushing forward, she grabbed the cart with one hand and Ruby's cloak with the other, yanking her back down onto solid ground.

"Aww, you're no fun..." And the pouting continued.

Seeing this, Weiss's eye twitched. Unable to stand seeing the normally bubbly girl so put out, she let out a dramatic sigh. "Ruby, if you promise to behave yourself while we're here, I'll let you buy a bag of cookies," she said, mentally berating herself for making such a bargain in the first place. A year ago, her word would have essentially been law - "A Schnee should never compromise!" - but somewhere along the way, this rough and rowdy girl had somehow managed to worm her way into her life and chip away at the blocks of her icy exterior.

'_Its those blasted puppy eyes!'_ she scowled internally, taking over the cart and pushing it in the direction of the cereal aisle.

"Really? Hehe, you're the best, Weiss!" Ruby gushed, grinning from ear to ear as she skipped along beside her. "Ooh, hey! Can we get some Marshmallow Flakes? I think I still have that coupon Pyrrha gave me! Lucky girl… I wish I could get Pumpkin Pete to sponsor me too! That would be so cool! Think of all the free cereal!"

"Yes, because free cereal is the only reason to get sponsored," Weiss deadpanned, walking straight past the younger girl's desired food. "And no, we won't be getting any Pumpkin Pete's. You need something more filling than that for breakfast. It is our second year, after all, and you'll need something more sustainable to keep your focus in class. Why not some bran flakes instead?"

"For Dust's sake, Weiss," Yang interjected, rolling her eyes as she dumped a box of granola clusters into the cart. "Bran flakes? What are you, an old lady?"

"I'll have you know that bran flakes are a highly nutritional breakfast choice," she retorted, casting an annoyed glare at the elder sister. "Mixed with raisins, perhaps some slivered almonds, and a cup of skim milk… it is a perfect balance of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, protein, and even sugar."

"Oh, gross… raisins? Skim milk? _Fiber?_" the blonde replied, making a gagging noise. "We're young! We're fit! No thank you! You can keep that all to yourself, Grandma Schnee! Just warn us ahead of time before you use the bathroom, okay?"

Weiss felt her face heat up in annoyance, and she stomped her foot to show it. "How utterly crude of you!" she huffed, before once more taking the cart and wheeling it away. Ruby shot her sister a weird look, a mixture between a grin and scowl, unsure of whether or not she was amused by Yang's teasing or irritated that she had set Weiss off. Yang stuck her tongue out playfully and waggled her brows in return, while Blake slapped a hand over her face in embarrassment.

'_I'm surrounded by children,'_ she grimaced, trailing behind the two sisters as they followed Weiss into the next aisle. '_... children and a bitter old lady...'_

Twenty minutes later, they left the store, arms laden with grocery bags. Weiss, Yang and Blake walked slightly ahead as Ruby followed slowly from behind, her attention focused solely on the bag in her arms as she rummaged through it in search of her favorite food. True to her word she had behaved, and as reward for being a 'good girl', Weiss had allowed her to purchase a bag of chocolate chip cookies. To say that she was ecstatic would have been a complete understatement.

'_I can't wait to get my hands on one of those soft, chewy morsels. I got one of the fresh batches too! Its like heaven in your mouth… gosh, I'm drooling already! Weiss doesn't know what she's missing out on!'_ she blabbed mentally, the tip of her tongue peeking out past her lips as she concentrated on finding the package.

Her fingers had just brushed the thick, papery texture of the cookie bag when a loud screeching broke her focus. A moment later, a dark van whizzed by, swerving in and out of traffic and very nearly running the four girls over. Luckily, their honed senses had alerted them to the danger and they jumped to the side just in time to avoid becoming roadkill. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for their food, which had fallen to the street and been run over.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you maniac!" Yang shouted, her eyes flashing red as she shook an angry fist at the quickly retreating vehicle. A gloved hand waved dismissively back at her from the driver's side and Ruby felt her breath hitch as she caught a familiar reflection in the side mirror. Before any of her teammates could stop her, she whipped Crescent Rose out of its' holster and disappeared in a swirl of rose petals.

The next thing any of them knew, she had reappeared in front of the speeding van and, with little regard for her own safety, stood blocking its' path. Yang nearly burst an artery as she - in her worry - began yelling profanities, shouting for Ruby to get out of the way; despite her knowledge that Ruby had dealt with far more dangerous things than moving vehicles, protective instinct still urged her on.

Ignoring her sister's increasingly frantic demands, the red hooded girl instead rushed forward, charging onward to meet the van head on. As she was feet away from a head on collision, Ruby vaulted into the air and raised her scythe high above her. In one swift movement, she swung downwards, throwing her full weight into the blow. Like a hot knife through butter, Crescent Rose sliced clean through the van's hood and subsequently it's engine, destroying whatever chances the van had left of escape. Landing on the windshield, she then somersaulted away, landing on the pavement in a crouch as she watched it go skidding to a halt.

'_Hehe… that was so badass,'_ Ruby thought, grinning. She had little time to get back on her feet before she was tackled to the ground as a nearly catatonic Yang barreled into her, practically squeezing the life out of her as she spluttered loudly in a mixture of worry and anger.

"Gaahhh~! Don't you ever do something so stupid again!" she wailed, clutching Ruby to her ample bosom with one hand and frantically smoothing her hair with the other. It was meant to be a soothing gesture, but with her elder sibling being little more than a blubbering mess, it was starting to creep her out. She tried, rather unsuccessfully, to wiggle her way out of her sister's death grip, but that only served to strengthen her hold.

"A little… help… guys…?" she pleaded, as Weiss and Blake came into view. "Please? I-I… I can't breathe…"

Blake opened her mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off by a furious cry.

"Oh, for the love of Dust… YOU again? Don't you have anything better to do!" shouted a familiar ginger, outraged, as he kicked open the car door and leapt onto the street. Behind him, a horde of henchmen struggled to break free from the wreckage, all grumbling angrily as they snatched up their weapons.

"Wait a minute! Isn't that-..."

Taking advantage of Yang's surprise, Ruby disentangled herself from the mess of limbs, chest, and golden mane that was her older sister and rolled away to safety, gasping for her much needed oxygen. After several deep breathes, she pushed herself up and struck - what she hoped - was an imposing stance, standing sideways so that her cloak fluttered behind her, with her scythe pointed firmly at the criminals. For added effect, she activated her Semblance, nearly giddy as she imagined how awesome she must have looked.

'_I'm so cool!'_ she squealed inside her head, though she did a good job of keeping her face as stoic as possible.

Behind her, poor Blake just about choked to death as she inhaled a fistful of rose petals.

"Ack! Turn it off, Ruby! Turn… it… off!" she gagged, waving her hand frantically in an attempt to keep them away from her mouth. When that didn't work, she shadowed away, moving to stand on Ruby's other side. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, the wind decided that exact moment to change direction, almost following her as a fresh wave of petals fluttered into her face.

"Ruby, you dolt! Stop messing around before you kill Blake!" Weiss shouted, grabbing her partner roughly by the shoulder. The other girl blinked several times in confusion, having been so focused on her pose, before realizing what exactly her partner had said.

"Oh, no! Blake, I'm so sorry!" she apologized, and immediately, the rose petals faded away. She rushed over to check on her, fretting that she had inadvertently hurt her teammate.

"I-It's fine, Ruby," the Faunas coughed, just relieved to finally be free of the flowery prison.

As Team RWBY continued on with their strange antics, a bewildered Roman could only stare on in confusion. The four girls were so focused on each other, it was as if they had completely forgotten about him. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he silently motioned for his men to begin unloading the van so that they could make a quiet break for it, tiptoeing back to the driver's seat to retrieve his scroll. When they had gathered their loot, he pointed to a nearby alleyway and began leading them to what he assumed would be a clean getaway.

"Going somewhere?"

Unable to repress the loud groan of frustration, he whipped around and pointed his cane at the obnoxiously persistent teen. She was quickly becoming a thorn in his side and he had just about had it with her interference. Waving for his men to continue on, he clicked the trigger and fired off several shots, watching in disdain as she simply side-stepped her way to safety. Behind her, he could see her teammates preparing to jump in, but she only ordered them to chase after the others.

The blonde one growled her defiance, but a heated glare from Ruby had her shoving past Roman to follow the other girls, who had already run ahead. The criminal mastermind found it somewhat intriguing, having never realized in all their encounters that 'Red' - as he had oh so affectionately named her - was the leader of a team. It was very obvious that she was the youngest of the bunch, but the cat Faunas and the 'princess' had obeyed her commands at once, while the brawler only needed minor persuasion to follow through.

"Well, well, well… looks like its just you and me again, Red," he smirked, reaching into his pocket for a fresh cigar. Taking a moment to light the tip, he inhaled the deeply aromatic smoke, feeling it fill his lungs before exhaling it all in one, long puff.

"You know, smoking is bad for you," she said, as she began to circle around the thief, anticipating his next move.

"Trust me kid, smoking is the least of my worries," he countered, taking another long drag of the cigar. "Its actually very relaxing, if you'd like to know. You see… my job is a stressful one; it isn't nearly as easy as I make it look. And meddlesome girls like you… only serve to make it more difficult!" Suddenly, he flicked the ash into her eyes, causing her to reel back in surprise and pain.

Roman was quick to take advantage of her temporary blindness, smacking her across the face with the length of his cane before shoving his knee into her gut, watching in quiet satisfaction as she staggered back. Pressing on, he threw a right hook, followed by a left-handed jab and then a leaping kick to the sternum. Aiming his cane once more, he shot the girl point blank, sending her flying back through the air.

Ruby's aura was strong, and while the blows did hurt, they would leave no lasting damage. As she crashed loudly into a stack of trash bins, she bit her lip to stop from crying out and instead clambered to her feet, shaking her head to clear it of the cobwebs. Dashing forward, she swung Crescent Rose this way and that, twirling it in her hands with deadly precision. Roman did his best to block and dodge, but the longer she kept up the attack, the faster she seemed to move.

'_What __**is **__this kid?'_ he wondered, now struggling to keep up with her ever increasing speed. The two continued to trade blows, but less and less of his hits were managing to break through, whereas Ruby was slowly starting to gain the upper hand. He grimaced as the sharp blade tore through the fabric of his suit, mentally lamenting that the had just bought it the other day. The split second he took to think about it was just enough for Ruby to land a crippling blow, sending him careening to the asphalt.

His lips pulled back tightly into a snarl, one hand gripping his cane and the other pressed tightly over his chest, where a distinctively red line had appeared. Pushing his aura into the wound, it closed up just enough to stem the bleeding, ensuring that he could continue to fight. Just as he was about jump back into the fray, a soft vibration caught his attention. Following it to the source, he drew his scroll out of his front pocket and pulled it open.

A single message flashed across it's screen: '_Retreat.'_

"What…?" he mumbled, softly. Emerald eyes narrowing, half in annoyance and half in suspicion, he shoved the device back into his pocket and pulled himself to his feet. Across from him, Ruby stood at the ready, staring him down as she prepared herself for round two. Fortunately for her, Roman had his orders, and he knew better than to disobey _her_.

"Sorry, Red. But it looks like I'll have to call it quits," he said, giving the girl a mock bow. "Its been fun!" Several rounds of ammunition tore into the ground at her feet, effectively blocking her view as dirt and debris were kicked into the air. Turning tail, he fled the alleyway and ran back out into the street, where a little black car had appeared. Jumping into the passenger seat, the tires squealed along the pavement as it sped off, leaving only the scent of burnt rubber in its wake.

"Aghh… pfttt!" Ruby coughed and spluttered, attempting to escape the dirt cloud, and could only watch in disappointment as Roman - yet again - got away. Sighing in quiet resignation, the dark haired teen folded Crescent Rose into its' holster and trudged her way back across the street, to where their groceries still lay in a messy pile. Plopping down onto the edge of the sidewalk, she crossed her legs and rested her chin upon her hand, waiting for her team to get back.

"I hope they're okay," she muttered, still upset that she had let Roman escape. As her eyes wandered over the now inedible bags of food, she was surprised to see that one package had remained untouched. Reaching out, she flipped it over to see what was inside, and immediately, all bad thoughts were driven from her mind.

When Yang, Blake and Weiss returned five minutes later, it was only to find Ruby with an unmistakable trail of crumbs lining her shirt. When asked what had happened, she could only grin sheepishly in lieu of their incredulous stares, scratching nervously at the back of her head.

"Uh… hehe… its a funny story…"

* * *

**A/N: And there it is! Again, I apologize for the poor writing quality; I'm one of those people who, if they don't get it out quick enough, lose motivation and end up taking forever to update. So I just write it as it is. Hopefully the story itself makes up for it, though! *crosses fingers*  
**

**A big, big thank you to everyone who fave/followed and reviewed. Your support makes the story's transition from my head to paper (or rather computer) so much easier and serves as great motivation. Please keep the reviews coming! I'd really love to hear (read) what you guys have to say about it!**

**Quick review replies!**

**LuckyBullet: This story as a whole will be rather depressing (sorry!), but I'm hoping to balance it out somewhat with action and some humor. As for the first scene, you're right, I probably should have added a little bit more of Team JNPR into it, rather than just saying they were there. But, just consider it the 'spark notes' version of it, as yes, there will be a re-telling, and it will be far more detailed than what I had in the prologue. **

**xT-Zealot: As I mentioned in my first A/N, I'm pretty new to the RWBY section so I'm not really aware of what these 'reoccurring trends' but hopefully I can manage to steer clear of them! I'll try not to disappoint!**

**Until next time~!**


	3. I felt every ounce of me screaming out

**Signal Fire: Chapter Two**

Day quickly gave way to night, wearing down from a hot, balmy afternoon to a pleasant - if not somewhat chilly - evening. The coppery-orange orb that was the sun dipped slowly beyond the westerly horizon, casting lengthy shadows that knifed across the dark silhouette of Vale's downtown skyline. From her balcony atop a posh, hillside villa, the woman known as Cinder Fall stood in quiet admiration of the picturesque view, casually swirling a glass of Merlot in her hand.

Lifting it to her lips, she took the smallest of sips, gently swishing the liquid around the caverns of her mouth. Glancing down, she contemplated the subtle yet fruity flavor before swallowing, nodding her head in silent appreciation. Raising it to her lips once more, Cinder took another sip of her drink as she scanned the narrow road that wound its way up the hill - the only path that led to and from her current location.

"Is he here yet?" she asked, her voice soft yet sultry.

"No, Lady Cinder," was the gruff reply, "but our trackers show that he will be here within a quarter hour."

"Late, again. My patience is running thin with that man," she growled, scowling in quiet derision.

Golden eyes flickered with annoyance, and for the briefest of moments, she could feel an uncontrollable rage swell in her gut; like a caged beast thrashing to be released. Throwing back her head, Cinder quickly downed the rest of her beverage and immediately went for the bottle, pouring herself yet another glassful of wine. When she had chugged half of that, she tore the drink from her lips and recoiled, wiping at her mouth with the back of a hand.

Her chest heaved from lack of oxygen, but the dark haired woman couldn't have cared less; the anger she felt only seconds ago now replaced by the soft burn of the alcohol. Taking a minute to compose herself, she sniffed dispassionately and set the liquor aside, barely noticing as a servant came to collect the now dirtied dish.

"Are you well, my Lady?"

"I'm fine, Mercury," she snapped, irritably. The man was her constant shadow; there when she needed him, there when she didn't, and she often found it exhausting to be tailed by him night and day. Raising her hand she waved it dismissively, wishing to be alone for the moment. "Wait by the gates. I want him in my office the instant he crosses that threshold."

"As you wish, my lady," he answered, his head dipping low in a bow before he turned on his heel and exited the room. Her gaze lingered on the silvery haired man as he promptly retreated; loyal to a fault, he was one of the few people Cinder knew she could always count on.

'_But damn if he doesn't know a thing or two about personal space_,' she thought, allowing herself to sink comfortably into one of the many lounge chairs that sat scattered about the balcony. Settled in, she reached for her scroll and delicately pulled it apart. With the lazy flick of a finger, she began swiping and clicking through an assortment of folders and applications, scanning their various contents through studious eyes.

So caught up in her readings, Cinder was startled to hear the dull roar of an approaching engine and squinted at the flashing of headlights as a luxurious four-door sedan pulled into the driveway. Several of her men approached the vehicle - Mercury at the helm - and were quick to escort the car's passenger into the house. Standing swiftly, she made her way back inside.

Not a moment later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she ordered, sliding into the chair at her desk as she began pulling folders from the drawer. "Close the door behind you."

Hearing the soft click of the door handle as it shut quietly behind her visitor, Cinder finally looked up. Roman Torchwick stood tall before her; his suit was clean and well pressed, giving him a sharp, crisp look that was only accentuated by the dark fedora hat that sat angled atop his perfectly groomed hair. As always, a cigar hung from the corner of his thin lips, the tip aglow with dying embers.

"Hello, Cinder," he greeted, in his usual, snooty voice. "Lovely evening we're having, isn't it?"

"Yes, quite," she replied, plainly.

Undeterred by the woman's lackluster attitude, Roman took a puff of his cigar, inhaling deeply with a satisfied grin. He allowed it to sit in his lungs momentarily before breathing out, releasing the cloud of noxious fumes in a sequence of smoke rings that trailed slowly across the room before dissipating into thin air.

"Heh, still got it," he grinned, twirling his cane playfully before hooking it onto the armrest of a chair and unceremoniously plopping himself into its cushion. "Nice material. What is this... Boarbatusk leather?" He wiggled around, testing the feel of it, almost oblivious to Cinder's growing displeasure.

"Silence, Roman!" she barked, her eyes glowing ominously. Her hand clenched tightly in a fist as she sought to quell the rising fury within; if only she had stopped the butler from taking the bottle of Merlot earlier. With nothing but her own sheer will, she was able to put out the flames before it became a full blown blaze, though it took several deep breaths to calm herself.

Roman, who was familiar with her infamous temper, wisely chose to sit still as she worked through her anger. When she had visibly relaxed, he released a breath he never knew he had even been holding. Deciding that it was in his best interest to simply cut the act, he sat straight and neatly folded his hands across his lap.

"My apologies," he said, lowering his head in an apologetic manner. "We are here for business, not pleasantries. You have called me, and I am here. To what do I owe this great honor?"

'_He may be a nuisance, but he certainly has a way with words_,' Cinder mused, plucking the nearest folder from its' stack and pulling it open. She examined it for several moments before turning it upside down and sliding it across the desk towards Roman.

"Two days ago, a large shipment of Dust arrived at the local ammunitions store," she spoke, pointing to the black and white photo of a typical storefront. "I tasked you and your men in retrieving it; do you remember this?"

"Yes, of course," he answered, swallowing the nervous lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He should have known better than to assume this meeting would be about anything else; Cinder _hated_ failure, and she had no qualms in showing it. "I can only offer my sincerest apologies. We should have had that one right in the bag. Everything was running quite smoothly until-..."

"Until she stepped in," Cinder finished, flipping the page over to reveal a familiar face. "Ruby Rose. Sixteen years old, youngest student to ever receive acceptance into Beacon, captain of her own team... she's rather impressive, don't you think?"

"For a snotty nosed brat, sure," he grumbled, still sore that she had - once again - interrupted one of his bigger heists.

Cinder smirked, amused at his pouty behavior. "I must admit, I have had my eye on her for quite some time," she spoke, turning the picture so that it faced her direction; unconsciously, she allowed her finger to gently caress photo-Ruby's cheek. "Ozpin was not the only one to notice her during our initial encounter, you know. He just managed to get his hands on her first."

"I'm not sure I follow," Roman admitted, struggling to understand what exactly she was implying. It was as if she'd completely skipped over the fact that he had not brought in the promised shipment of Dust, and he began to grow weary; she had either had a sudden change of heart in regards to mission completion… or she was setting him up for an even bigger fall.

Unfortunately, he knew that he had no choice but to play along.

"The first time we ran into Ruby, I found myself admiring her tenacity. Inexperienced as she was when compared to that Goodwitch woman, she took your men single-handedly in combat. No laughing feat for one her age."

"In my defense, they weren't exactly the cream of the crop," he grunted, remembering how much money he had lost in exchange for such lousy service. '_They were worth every cent... truly, they were_,' was his sarcastic thought.

"As true as that may be, that was still half a dozen armed men against a single - at the time - fifteen year old," Cinder reminded. "Now, the second time you ran into her, you fought her friend... that Faunas girl, along with the monkey boy and that... that abomination of human and machine. Although indirectly involved, the fact that she is the leader of that girl speaks volumes of her."

"And lastly," she went on, unfurling her scroll and placing it before him; revealing footage of the other day's battle. "She fought you one on one, and while you tricked your way into the first blow, she was skilled enough to draw _first blood_."

"A lucky hit," he scoffed, emerald eyes narrowing with annoyance.

"I know you, Roman. You may have your men do all the dirty work for you, but you are far more proficient as a fighter than you allow others to believe. It would take more than a lucky hit to do what she did to you," she smirked, purposely replaying the scene simply so she could watch the anger flash across his features.

"What is your point?" he asked bluntly, hoping to take attention away from the clip. It was not one of his prouder moments.

"She's strong... and _fast_," Cinder replied, feeling unexpectedly exhilarated at the mere thought of this girl. "I have had surveillance on her since the Vytal Festival and I am greatly pleased with what I have found. A little rough around the edges, and in need of… _proper_ guidance, but she is a well of untapped potential. For one so young, she is powerful and highly accomplished, and she will only continue to grow more so the older she gets. Now, as you are aware, there are only two things I respect in this life... and that is knowledge and power."

"This girl," she continued, tapping a finger atop the photo, "will one day grow up to become a legendary Huntress. I am certain of it. Stories will be told of her many deeds, passed down through the generations, and her name will appear in every historical text from this day onward. She will be a driving force of good in this world, that much I can tell you."

"And... you wish to get rid of her?" questioned Roman, taking a shot in the dark as he continued to try and piece things together.

Cinder shook her head, smiling viciously as she replied, "On the contrary, I wish to do the exact _opposite_. I want her on our side. I can teach her to harness the full potential of her aura, train her to hone and perfect her skills, show her the true way of the world! She will become my greatest asset, my pride and joy... and you, my dear Roman, are going to help me get her."

* * *

"You know that isn't good for you."

"Hm? What? You mean coffee?" Glancing up from her mug, Ruby tilted her head curiously. "But you're drinking it too."

"I didn't mean the coffee," Weiss answered with a roll of the eyes. "I meant the amount of sugar you put into it. Five packets is extreme overkill, if you ask me. I can practically _feel _the diabetes setting in just _watching _you drink that."

"Ah, lay off the girl," Yang cut in, buttering her toast. "Its just a side effect of her Semblance. Her physical speed isn't the only thing that's fast, y'know. Her metabolism is like... three or four times a normal person's? I forget exactly what the doctor told us when she was younger... only that sugar was the quickest source of fuel and that she'd grow up to have a very, very large sweet tooth."

If Weiss was expecting any sort of explanation, it wasn't that. She cast a sideways glance at her partner, studying her momentarily before shrugging. "Be as that may, she could stand to eat a little healthier. There's nothing wrong with adding more fruits and vegetables to her diet."

"There you go again with that fiber nonsense," the blonde grunted, chomping away at her bread.

"Its not just that!" Weiss countered, loudly. "I'm simply looking out for her well being. I mean, at least _one _of us is."

If there was one thing that Yang hated the most - aside from anyone messing with her hair - it was when a person questioned her abilities as the elder sister. With their mother gone and their father the head security officer for a shipping company, it was often just her and Ruby growing up; she may not have been the greatest role model, but she had done her best to raise her in the right manner. So when someone implied that she was doing a bad job of looking out for Ruby... well, it just rubbed her the _wrong _way.

"Say that again, princess. I dare you to..." she growled, the irises of her eyes flashing red in warning.

Ruby, sensing her sister's growing fury, reached across the table and grasped Yang's hand. "Don't worry, sis. I know you're always there for me," she assured her, smiling brightly. Her words and actions instantly gave the effect that she was looking for; as Yang's gaze landed on her, the harshness in her stare immediately softened.

"And Weiss, I'll try to cut back on the sugar," she went on, turning to lock eyes with her partner. "You're right. I could stand to eat more fruits and veggies... I mean, food is fuel, right!"

The heiress nodded and gave her a small smile; a genuine curve of her lips that was reserved strictly for Ruby. As reluctant as she was to admit, Ruby, silly and childish as she was, held a soft spot in her otherwise hardened heart. The girl just had that sort of effect on people. "That's quite right," she agreed. "But... I do suppose a cookie here or there cannot hurt either."

Ruby beamed, glad that the crisis had been averted. "You guys are the best! Now hurry up and finish your food! Class starts in ten minutes!"

When the warning bell rang several minutes later, the four girls gathered their belongings and set out for Professor Port's classroom. Blake, who had been quiet all throughout breakfast, gently bumped her shoulder against Ruby's as they walked.

"Huh?"

"You did a good job handling Weiss and Yang back there," she commented, giving the younger girl an encouraging smile. "You're really getting this leader thing down."

"Hehe, thanks, Blake," said Ruby, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Even after a year as team leader, she was still sheepish about receiving compliments. "Its only because I have such great teammates!"

Blake chuckled lightly and ruffled the girl's hair affectionately. Ruby pouted and tried to get away, since that was the sort of thing you did with children, but she couldn't help it; she resisted only a second or two before caving in, murmuring for her to 'get the left side'.

"Just get over to your seat. I swear, somewhere deep inside you, you're part puppy," she laughed, nudging the younger girl towards her spot.

Ruby smiled humorously and skipped over to her chair in the front, plopping down beside Weiss, who was already seated. Foraging through her things, she pulled out the massive tome that was their assigned textbook, along with that class's designated notebook. Setting those aside, she dug her hand deeply into the bottom of her bag, in search of a writing utensil; to her dismay, she came up empty.

'_Darn it! I must have forgotten to put my pencil case back after using it last night,'_ she deduced, as she recalled having taken it out to work on homework. '_Its probably still sitting on my bed… ugh! Okay, well, maybe Weiss will let me-...'_

"Remember to place the cap back on when you aren't using it, otherwise it will dry it out and I will _not_ be lending you a second."

Ruby blinked as the cool metal of a rather ornate looking pen was placed gently into her hand, and instinctively, she closed her hand around it - as well as the hand of the owner. Weiss looked up sharply in surprise, only to receive one of Ruby's trademark grins and an appreciative squeeze.

"You're the _bestest _best teammate ever," she whispered, as Professor Port made his entrance.

"And you're such a dork," Weiss mumbled, fighting off a grin of her own. "Now pay attention, okay? And no more drawing pictures, do you understand me? This is our second year. Its time to get serious."

"Aww, can't I draw at least _one_," the red hooded girl implored, fixing Weiss with a pitiful stare.

'_Blast those eyes!'_ the heiress internally cursed, feeling all resolve quickly begin to crumble. '_She must have a second Semblance or something! The power to sway one's mind through eye contact… it can be the only answer...'_ In all honesty, Weiss knew that there was no such thing as a 'second Semblance' and that Ruby's only power was the ability to love others unconditionally - regardless of background, attitude, or heritage - but she was still too proud to admit that she truly cared for the younger girl.

Still, she could settle for letting Ruby get her way - on _occasion_, and in _moderation_ - so she leant over and scribbled a random doodle into the corner of Ruby's page. "_One_ picture," she stated, pulling back. "There's your starting point. Impress me."

A fire seemed to ignite beneath Ruby's pale, silver eyes as she was challenged, immediately bringing pen to paper as she let her imagination go wild. This was going to be a fun class.

* * *

It was late, well after hours as the students of Beacon slept soundly in their beds. The glow of a single window shone in the infinite blackness, the yellow-orange flicker of a lone candle fighting off the dark abyss of night.

Ruby sat before the window, elbows resting on the wooden sill as she cupped her chin in her hands. She felt restless, though she could come up with no plausible reason as to why. The day had been long and their workload heavy; by all means, she should have been exhausted - and physically, she _was_. But something about that night was just… _off_. Something lingered in the air that evening, taunting her senses and sending her already overworked mind into overdrive; unease twisting in her chest… her heart.

She cast a cursory glance about the room, checking the status of each member of her team. Her gaze was quickly drawn to the top bunk where her sister slept, Yang's powerful snores reverberating throughout the tiny room. She couldn't help but smile, somewhat; as odd as it may have seemed, she was able to find some comfort in the rhythm of her nightly sighs and snorts. Like her sister, they were loud and boisterous, drawing attention to the blonde even as she slumbered. The noise did not particularly bother her; she had grown up listening to the sound of Yang's snores, and to her, they were familiar… they were home.

After several moments, Ruby's eyes sought lower ground, finding purchase on the lumpy form of Blake as she slept peacefully in the bunk below. Having been shuffled from one White Fang rebellion to the next, their Faunas friend had no issues with the constant eruption of sound from the girl who lay above; compared to her previous partner, Yang could have been purring. But that was in a past life and Ruby was just glad to have Blake in their lives, on their team… she was the constant rock of logic and reasoning in their otherwise chaotic group.

Finally, she looked across the way to check in on Weiss, and was nearly startled out of her skin as she was met with a pair of sapphire eyes.

"Oh my gosh, warn someone when you're going to do that!" she gasped, clutching at her now rapidly beating heart.

"What are you doing?" asked Weiss, pulling back the covers as she threw her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.

"I'm trying not to have a heart attack, _that's_ what I'm doing!" Ruby hissed back, releasing a long winded sigh.

"I mean, what are you doing up?" she clarified, rolling her eyes at the girl's exaggerated reaction. "Its nearly 3AM… what are you doing awake? Have you even _slept _yet? You know we have class in the morning."

"I know, I know," said Ruby, waving her hands down in a placating manner. "Look, just go back to bed, alright? I was having trouble sleeping, but I'm fine now. No need to worry."

"Who said that I was worried?" It was an automatic response from Weiss, one that she regretted instantly as a flash of hurt crossed Ruby's face. But as quickly as it came, it was gone; replaced with a lopsided grin as the raven haired teen merely shrugged in response.

"Its just a phrase," she commented, standing up and blowing out the candle. "Anyway, sorry if I woke you. Good night."

Weiss felt a pang of guilt as Ruby walked past her and swiftly climbed the new ladder that Charles had built for them; he really had outdone himself with the beds. She made a mental note to send her father a request to add a small bonus to his wages that month in her name, but quickly decided that she could deal with that issue at a later time. She had more pressing matters to deal with at the present moment.

"Ruby," she called, softly. Placing a delicate foot atop the first rung of the ladder, she pulled herself up so that she could stand eye-level with the upper bed. "Ruby?" she called, again.

"Yeah?" came the tired response.

"I apologize… for what I said," she began, hesitantly. "I do worry… about you, I mean. That's actually why I woke up in the first place. As strange as it may sound, it was as if I could... sense that you weren't asleep."

Ruby, who had thrown the covers over her head, disentangled herself from the cotton sheet and sat up. "You could _sense_ that I wasn't sleeping?" she asked, her brow raised in disbelief.

Weiss blushed; it really did sound strange, especially when she said it like _that_. "Perhaps that was the wrong word to use," she murmured. "Let's just say I woke up and my first thought was to find you. Is that better?"

"That makes even less sense," Ruby groaned, but even in the darkness, Weiss could see the tell-tale signs of an amused smile.

"Ugh, just go to sleep you dunce," she sighed, reaching up and throwing the blankets back over Ruby's petite form. "We have Goodwitch in the morning, so you'll need your rest."

"Alright, I'm sleeping!" And as if to prove her point, Ruby closed her eyes and let out a few snores - nearly mimicking her sister who slept only feet away. She heard the rustle of sheets as Weiss climbed back down into her own bed, cracking an eye open to see that she was gone. Grinning playfully, she rolled over towards the edge and ducked her head so that she could stare down at the other girl.

"Psst, Weiss!"

"Ruby, I told you sleep!"

"I knowww~," she moaned, silver eyes rolling upwards in mock annoyance. "But I just wanted to say something first!"

"Well, then… out with it," Weiss demanded, fluffing her pillow in an attempt to get more comfortable.

Ruby smiled; a full-blown, ear-to-ear smile that nearly threatened to split her face apart. "You're my best friend," she simply stated, before rolling back onto her mattress. "Night~!"

"Yes, well, I never had much of a choice," she smartly replied, though her own smile nearly matched that of Ruby's; under the cover of night, she was not afraid to allow her emotions to shine through.

"And you never will!" was Ruby's sing-song retort. She was rather unfazed when the Schnee gave no parting remark, knowing that it was late and they all needed their rest; instead, she curled the blankets more tightly about herself, basking in the cocoon of warmth. She counted herself lucky; among the hundreds of other students at Beacon, she knew that she could have never asked for a better team… a better group of friends.

Even as the official leader, it was really _they _who looked after _her_; they made sure that she ate right, helped her understand difficult subjects, encouraged her when times were rough… they were the _only_ reason she had made it this far, and one day, she only hoped that - some_way_, some_how_ - she could return the favor.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to add a bit more at the end here, but decided it would fit better into the next chapter. We'll finally be getting into the 'meat and bones' of the story, as Cinder has made her interest known and her actions slowly come into play.  
**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! As always, I appreciate it and hope that you continue to leave comments! **


	4. But the sound was trapped deep in me

**Signal Fire: Chapter Three**

Ruby awoke with a start, gurgling as a rough hand clamped around her mouth, forcing her screams of protest to die quietly in her throat; silenced and unheard. Panic coursed through her veins as she attempted to buck wildly, only to come to the terrifying realization that no matter how hard she tried, her body would not move. Not even her sight would cooperate, her eyes refusing to budge open.

'_Please, somebody! Anybody! Help!'_ she begged, though she knew no one would hear her pleas.

She could only weep silently as she was shoved onto her stomach and held down, confused as she wondered why her friends had not woken up, yet horrified to think that something similar was happening to them in their own beds. She was dizzy with worry, floating in a sea of light-headedness; her senses sharpening for a split second as she heard her assailant fumble for something in the darkness.

Her heart lurched, her prone form giving an involuntary twitch, as something sharp was stabbed into the base of her neck. It sunk deeply through skin and tissue until it tapped against the bone of her cervical spine, sending wave after wave of excruciating pain that rippled throughout every bone, muscle, and joint of her body. Her chest heaved, rising and falling with every muffled cry, and she only hoped that whatever was happening, it would be over soon.

If there ever was a God, he or she listened; for as soon as it had begun, the ordeal was over. Ruby could hear the door creak open and then close, leaving her to sob alone in the dark; violated, vulnerable, and afraid. What had just _happened? _

Suddenly, from the blackness, came a voice; haunting yet soothing all at once, and completely unrecognizable to the girl. It gave but one order: "_**Sleep."**_

And without thought, she drifted off into oblivion.

When she woke again several hours later, it was to the sound of Yang banging loudly against her bedframe, her knuckles rapping harshly against the wood.

"Ruby, class starts in fifteen minutes! I've let you sleep in long enough. Its time to wake up!" she demanded, reaching out to grab at her exposed arm, which hung limply over the side of the edge. As her fingers made contact with her skin, the brawler hissed and jerked back, eyes wide in bewilderment. "What... the _fuck?_!"

Blake, who had been gathering her belongings for class, glanced up in surprise. "What's wrong?" she asked, as Yang began to frantically pull the sheets off Ruby.

"She's running a fever," the elder girl replied, climbing the ladder and scooping her sister into her arms. "But this… this isn't normal…"

"Its… so hot…" Ruby whimpered, her voice weak; barely heard. She felt as if she'd been lit on fire, doused in lava, and then left out to dry in the middle of the desert. She was vaguely aware of someone lifting her up and carrying her out of bed, but she was far too out of it to actually identify the person.

"She's burning up..." Blake stated anxiously, feeling the heat radiate off the girl from even a foot away. "I'll run ahead and let the nurse know you're coming. Just follow as quickly as you can!"

Nothing more needed to be said between them as the two burst from their dorm room, rushing through the halls to get their leader the medical attention she so direly needed. Blake, being quicker than Yang, soon disappeared in order to get help while the other girl staggered along in desperation, cradling Ruby in her arms. Her Semblance was fire; she was _used to_ heat… but Ruby's heat was something she had never imagined could be possible. It was very similar to carrying a hot sack of coals… fear gripped her heart and refused to let go - this was _not_, in fact, a sack of hot coals but her _baby sister_… and it terrified her.

"Hold on, I've got you…" she whispered. "Only one more floor to get through…"

Yang became alarmed as she felt Ruby go unexpectedly limp, only to become as stiff as a board seconds later. Screeching to a halt in the middle of the hallway, she could only watch on in fright as the girl's arms and legs began to twitch; a little at first, before it quickly became full-blown thrashing. Dropping to her knees, the brawler clutched Ruby to her chest in an attempt to cease her movements, but not even her monstrous strength could keep the girl from flailing her limbs.

Despite her best efforts to hold them back, Yang could feel the sting of unshed tears burn at the corner of her eyes; threatening to fall as she could do nothing but watch on helplessly. She held the girl closer as Ruby continued to jerk wildly, not exactly sure what she was supposed to do. The hallways were empty - most students having already made it to class - and Blake was waiting for her at the Infirmary; she was alone, completely and utterly alone… and she had no way of easing her sister's pain.

"Set her down," a voice commanded, startling her out of her reverie. "Protect the head, but do not try and hold her down. You may just hurt her more that way."

Whipping her head around, Yang was stunned as a familiar Faunas turned into their corner of the hall. "V-Velvet?" she stammered, mouth agape in surprise. Where had _she_ come from?

"Yang, I know you're scared, but do as I say," the girl ordered, sounding far more confident than Yang had ever heard her before. "She's having a seizure… a febrile seizure by the looks of it. You _really _need to set her down and let this ride its course. As I said, protect her head… its the best thing you can do for her. Once it stops, you can get her to the nurse without trouble."

The blonde was reluctant to obey, but she didn't have many other choices to begin with; at least Velvet _sounded_ like she knew what she was doing. Laying Ruby onto the floor, she hastily wiped at her eyes before gently pulling her sister's head into her lap and loosely holding it still, allowing the rest of her body to simply bash itself against the hard tile. She couldn't help but wince as she saw Ruby's arm smack painfully against the wall, knowing that such a hit would leave an ugly bruise…

"I… I have to get to class," Velvet apologized, preparing to move along. "I was already running late when I stumbled across you two. Just let the seizure finish and then get her to the infirmary. I really hope she gets better soon and I wish the best of luck to the both of you." With a hurried goodbye, she scrambled on, leaving Yang alone with the ill girl once more.

"That was… weird…" she muttered, though she gave no more thought to the girl's unexpected arrival and even more sudden departure; she couldn't, even if she wanted to, as her sister continued to spasm in her arms.

Five minutes of torturous hell later, Ruby finally went still; the last convulsions fading away into miniscule tremors as she stared blankly ahead - eyes unseeing - and her breathing labored after such intense activity. Yang was quick to react, gathering her once more into her arms and charging up the nearest flight of stairs; in her haste, she nearly threw the door off its' hinges as she kicked the entrance to the Infirmary open.

"They're here!" called Blake, as she stood guard by the door.

"Get her onto the bed," the nurse ordered, wheeling over the tray of supplies she had prepared while waiting. "Your friend arrived several minutes ago and told me what happened. A fever, you say?"

Yang nodded, carefully setting Ruby down onto the nearest bed. "She's hot, ma'am, really hot," she breathed, having overly exerted herself in her mad dash to get her sister to the nurse. "And she had a seizure on the way… its why it took us so long to get here…"

"She's like a furnace," the nurse gasped, holding her hand several inches over Ruby's chest and yet still able to feel the heat of her body. "We need to cool her down, but it cannot be too quickly or we'll simply send her into shock. Allow me to prepare a bath of tepid water… and if you would be so kind as to undress her while I do so, it would certainly help things move along more smoothly."

Blake quickly stepped over to help, dragging Ruby's pajama bottoms down her legs while Yang tugged off her top. They were quick to cover her with a thin blanket after they had finished, wanting to let her keep her dignity, even in her near unconscious state. When the nurse returned a moment or two later, they stood back and watched anxiously as she took a quick set of vitals.

"Get her to the bath, quickly now," she ordered, setting down her notes. "The fever is high… 106 Fahrenheit. If we cannot lower her temperature, I'll have no choice but to order an emergency transport to the hospital."

"What? Why?" cried Yang, as she bundled the girl back into her arms and swiftly followed after the nurse. "Can't you take care of her? You're supposed to be a medical professional!"

"This is a school for Hunters, Ms. Xiao Long. I specialize more in trauma, and unfortunately, that is all we are truly equipped to take on. Your sister is severely ill, and whatever the cause - virus, infection, etc. - we simply do not have the means of combating it." Pushing open the door to the bathroom, she pointed towards the large basin. "Lower her in… slowly."

Kneeling, Yang bent over the tub as she gently - almost reverently - set Ruby in the lukewarm bath, feeling the water soak through the sleeves of her blouse; she didn't care though, as long as this would help bring her temperature down. When she felt her hands touch the bottom of the tub, she released her sister and carefully retracted her arms, bracing herself against the tub's edge with one hand and tenderly brushing a stray bang from Ruby's face with the other.

Her lower lip quivered, and it took all her willpower to keep herself from breaking down; as she stared down at the younger girl, it was like she was five years old all over again… so small, so weak... When their mother had passed all those years ago, she had made a vow to protect her sister… but this was completely beyond her. There were few things in life that Yang feared - she was a Huntress-in-training after all - but Ruby was her _whole world_, and if anything were to happen to her…

'_Don't think about it…'_ she told herself, but it was hard not to when Ruby lay so still; her breathing shallow and labored… a mere shell of her usually energetic self.

"Will she be okay?" Blake asked quietly, not wanting to disturb either sister.

"Unfortunately, I cannot say," the nurse sighed, regretfully. "As I told your teammate, Beacon is a school for Hunters. I can reset bones, bandage wounds, provide aura therapy… but treating medical conditions… that's something completely different."

"So what you're saying is that you can't actually do anything for her?" she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"I can give her fluids, and I have some medication that may help… but yes, you're right. There is little I can actually do for her here. If her temperature does not drop soon, she _will_ need to be transported to the hospital. In fact, I should contact them now… I'll speak to the physician on duty and see what they want done with her. If you'll just excuse me…"

The Faunas watched her leave before turning back to Yang and Ruby. Stepping forward, she knelt beside the blonde and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder; never one for much physical contact, Blake found herself making an exception for her teammates.

'_No… for my family,'_ she corrected herself, hearing Yang sniffle lightly and felt her rest her head against her shoulder. Abandoned by her parents before she could even remember, Blake had never truly understood the concept of family; the closest she had ever had to one was the White Fang, but she had quickly become disenchanted with their excessively aggressive tactics. Team RWBY, however, was quick to fill the void; as chaotic and dysfunctional as they were, they had given her what she had spent her entire life searching for… acceptance. And for that, she would forever be grateful.

Squeezing Yang closer, she reached down into the tub and gently grasped Ruby's hand - still hot to the touch. '_I don't know why you're sick, and I don't know how to make it go away… but get better soon, okay? No matter what, you can't give up… because we won't give up on you...'_

* * *

'_I can't believe they're late! All _three _of them! Yang and Ruby I can somewhat understand… but Blake too? Blake is supposed to be the responsible one!'_ Weiss raged, bristling with barely restrained fury. '_Oh gods, that LOOK Professor Goodwitch gave me when she asked where they were… this is going to be deducted from my participation grade. I just know it!'_

Twenty minutes into combat class and not a single member of her team had shown up, much to the fencer's ever growing frustration. The three older girls had separated ways after breakfast that morning; Yang to wake up Ruby, Blake to get her books, and her to retrieve Myrtenaster from the storage lockers. The plan had been to meet up in class, go over a few battle strategies, and hope that one of them was selected to duel. And yet, here she was, a quarter way through class… _alone_. No teammates; no battle strategy; just her, all by her lonesome… with Goodwitch giving her the stinkeye every chance she got!

'_Stop looking at me like that! I don't know where they are! Ugh, I am going to _strangle _them!' _she seethed, imagining the various ways in which she could punish them for such an embarrassing transgression. '_Just as soon as I figure out where they are, first...'_

Retracting her scroll, she tapped the menu and selected her team's file, fully intent on leaving each girl a scathing message for their tardiness. But then she froze, caught in a sinking moment of realization, as she noticed the gauges on their aura; while she, Yang, and Blake appeared to be at full health, Ruby was in the red and steadily dropping _lower_...

"What the-... _no_," she spoke softly, unwilling to believe it. "This must be some sort of glitch…"

"What's a glitch?" a curious voice asked, causing her to jump in surprise. "My apologies. It was not my intention to startle you."

"Its quite alright, Pyrrha," Weiss replied, staring intently at the screen. "I just… I don't… I mean, something is wrong. Very, _very_ wrong. Look at Ruby's aura - this cannot possibly be correct."

"Hmm… that is highly unusual," the redhead stated, concern etching itself onto her features. "Scrolls do not usually malfunction unless they are physically damaged, but you are well known to take good care of your possessions. Additionally, Ruby appeared to be in good condition yesterday."

"She was having a hard time sleeping last night," Weiss admitted, chewing nervously at the corner of her lip. "I woke up just before 3AM and found her staring out the window… she looked troubled, but nothing too out of the ordinary..."

"Perhaps it would be best if you attempted to contact one of your teammates," Pyrrha suggested, nodding her head in the direction of the hallway. "I believe Blake would be the easiest to get a hold of, as Ruby is injured or ill and Yang will most likely be too stricken with worry to answer."

"Yes, you're right… thank you," she mumbled, distractedly, as she snuck out the door and into the hallway, where she hoped to gain some privacy. Clicking Blake's image, she waited for an answer.

And waited… and waited…

Just as she had given up hope, a voice on the other line called out, "_Hello?"_

"Blake! Where on Remnant _are_ you three? Class has been going on for a good half hour now and Goodwitch is giving me that _look_," she ranted; it was what she did when she was worried. "And when she asked me where you all were, I didn't even know what to say. Do you know how embarrassing that was! Also, what is this thing with Ruby's aura? Its completely in the red! What did that idiot do this time, huh? Don't tell me she fell out of bed-..."

"_Weiss…"_

"... or slipped in the shower again. I _told_ her to get new shower slippers. The ones she has now are old and worn down, and-..."

"_Weiss!"_

"... you know how clumsy she can be at times-..."

"_WEISS!"_

"What!?" she screeched, glaring daggers at the screen; as if she was looking at Blake herself, annoyed that she had interrupted her.

"_Ruby is being taken to the hospital… she's sick,"_ Blake sighed, her voice shaky; a stark contrast of her usually calm and cool demeanor. "_... really sick."_

Weiss felt her throat go dry; parched like a desert in drought. Ruby would need to be gravely ill if she required transport to the hospital… "How bad is it?" she asked, wanting to know but dreading the answer.

"_She has a temperature of 106F and she's had two seizures so far… it dropped down a bit after we set her in some water, but then it just spiked back up... the airship is on its way now."_

"... do I have time to get to the Infirmary before they arrive?" Without waiting for an answer she began hurrying down the halls, for once in her life unconcerned with the fact that she was deliberately _ditching_ class. Earlier that morning, Ruby had claimed that she was her best friend; that had been around 3AM… and it was now 8:30. Five hours… _five hours_… such a short span of time, and yet it felt ages and ages ago. 'You're my best friend,' Ruby had said…

'_... and you're mine too,'_ she silently promised.

"We can't go with her…" Blake replied, unaware that Weiss was already on the way. "The nurse says she'll write an excuse note for the team if we want to follow her to the hospital, but we'll have to find our own way of getting there. Yang is the only one who can actually ride in the airship with Ruby and the medics, since she's Ruby's sister and the only legal adult in the family currently available. They'll need her consent for treatment…"

"Consent for treatment? What exactly do they plan on doing to her?" She rushed up a flight of stairs, taking two steps at a time.

"They'll need to do some body and aura scans, take a blood and urinary sample, and some other things I'm not quite sure of…Weiss, are you _running_?" the Faunas questioned, hearing the obvious signs of the other girl's exertion. "The medics have just arrived, you don't need to rush… we can call a cab and fol-..."

"Blake, I _need_ to see her!" Weiss stumbled at her own words as nothing but silence could be heard on the other line; Blake was stunned, and even _she_ couldn't believe her own urgency behind the statement. '_Where did _that _come from...'_'

There was a long, pregnant pause before, "Hurry, they're loading her onto the stretcher."

"I'm almost there." She was quick to hang up, roughly shoving the scroll into her bag without a second thought; Myrtenaster bounced against her leg as she ran, and for a moment, she contemplated using Dust to speed up the process. Thinking better of it, she pushed her legs harder, racing down the long stretch of hallway that stood between her and the Infirmary… between her and Ruby…

Her heels clanged loudly against the tiled floor, making a sharp grating noise as she skid to a halt in front of its entrance; hand outstretched to grab the handle, she leapt back as it was suddenly pushed open and the world around her crashed and burned.

"Respirations are shallow and lung sounds are wheezy… get her on a non-rebreather," one medic ordered, rummaging through a large orange bag. "Dear lord, this girl is hot…" Pulling out an ice pack, he shook it vigorously to release the chemicals before squishing it beneath her armpit. Ruby gave an unnatural spasm at the sudden chill, but otherwise remained deathly still.

"She's going to be okay, isn't she?" Yang pleaded, her eyes bloodshot with barely repressed tears, struggling to keep up as they wheeled the gurney along.

"We'll do what we can," he replied, placing yet another cold pack under Ruby's other arm. Leaning over, he then grabbed the blonde's hands and intertwined them with her sister's. "Don't let go now, okay? Let her know you're here. I've been in this field long enough to know that, where medicine fails, love prevails."

Weiss could only watch on as the three hurried along, disappearing around the corner she had just rounded a few seconds ago. Her stomach sunk, having only caught a brief glimpse of Ruby, and what she saw had not been very reassuring…

Heart nearly leaping into her throat, the heiress jerked in surprise as a gentle hand laid itself upon her shoulder; turning, she came eye-to-eye with Blake, who looked down at her with almost a knowing look. "C'mon," she spoke, softly. "Let's go call that cab…"

* * *

"_Vale General, this is air ambulance unit one-five, are you clear to copy and receive a moderate medical?"_

"_Unit one-five, this is Vale General. We are clear to copy."_

"_Patient is a 16 year old female, chief complaint is high fever and seizure, ETA is 10 minutes."_

"_Copy. Go ahead."_

"_Patient was found unresponsive in dorm room by a family member at approximately 0800 this morning. Has experienced febrile seizures twice; one en route to the Infirmary and a second before our arrival. Family member states patient's condition was unprovoked and showed no signs of illness in the days leading up to it. Patient is disoriented and confused, lapses in and out of consciousness, responds to verbal and painful stimuli … pulse is 84… respirations are shallow and labored… eyes are PERL… skin signs are flushed, hot, and clammy… temperature holds steady at 106F… history and allergies upon arrival… patient is in a position of comfort, cold packs placed beneath both armpits, receiving supplemental O2 via non-rebreather and fluids through IV on the left upper extremity. How do you copy?"_

"_Copy, clear. You're good to go, one-five. See you in 10."_

* * *

The sharp 'clink, clink' of coins as she pushed several quarters into the coffee machine seemed to startle Yang as she lurched back, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected noise. The brawler slowly looked up and turned her head from left to right, surveying her surroundings, as if she was seeing it all for the very first time that day. So much had happened, and so quickly; it had become nothing more than an indistinguishable blur that left her dazed and slightly confused. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she punched in a random code and watched silently as a small styrofoam cup was dispensed.

A blackish-brownish mixture spewed from the nozzle above it, sloshing around the cup as the smell of cheap, vending machine coffee filled the air; her nose crinkled in minor disgust, but when compared to the sterile scent of chemical disinfectant, it was obviously the lesser of two evils. The machine gave one last, dying sputter before shutting off, and without bothering to blow, Yang brought the drink to her lips and took a deep gulp.

It was scalding hot - like drinking liquid fire - and she could feel the coffee burn its way down her throat and into her stomach, where it sat like a lump of hot coal. It hurt like hell, but she could have cared less; she needed something, _anything_, to wake her up from what she could only describe as an elder sibling's worst nightmare. They had spent the entire day at the hospital, rolling her sister's bed from one department to the next; it was nearing nine o'clock at night now, and not a _single_ test result had been able explain Ruby's sudden illness.

Not the CT scan; not the MRI; not the x-ray; not the blood sample; not the alcohol and drug screening; _nothing_. Abso-_fucking_-lutely nothing, and it was frustrating her to no end. She was supposed to protect Ruby… but how _could_ she if she didn't even know what to protect her from! In the back of her mind, she knew that this was something completely out of her control… but still, she felt so useless! Her body shook with unbridled rage, tinged with sorrow; and releasing a near deafening roar of anger, she launched her fist straight into the wall.

Even without Ember Celica, Yang was powerful enough to do substantial damage, as the now gaping hole in the wall testified. Rearing back, she prepared to release yet another devastating blow when two arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her away. Recognizing the lithe body her back was now pressed to, the blonde simply let herself fall, crumbling in defeat; too tired, too frustrated, too hurt to fight back.

Blake breathed a sigh of relief and guided the now limp Yang away from the destruction she had caused, quietly hoping that no one would realize who had done it; after all, they didn't need to be fined for damages _on top_ of what was already happening with Ruby. Checking that the coast was clear, she led the blonde back to her sister's room, where Weiss sat, curled into a chair by the window.

"Sit," she ordered, pushing Yang into the chair beside Ruby's bed. She was surprised when Yang jerked away, instead climbing into the bed with her sister. "Yang, I don't think-..."

The blonde growled; actually _growled_; a deep, guttural noise that reverberated loudly in her chest, and her eyes switched from soft lavender to angry red. They darted back and forth across the room, between Blake and the sleeping Weiss, as if analyzing the probability of them being a threat to her and her baby sister. Blake knew that look well - the look of a caged animal - and knew enough from her partner's inability to handle her emotions that it would be best if she and Weiss were to leave them be.

Treading carefully, she raised her hands to show that she meant no harm and quickly crossed the room to Weiss. Shaking the heiress by her shoulders, she placed a hand over her mouth and made a soft 'shh'-ing noise, which Weiss thankfully obeyed without question.

"Well… we'll just be out in the hall if you need us," said Blake, and the two girls left as quietly as they could, shutting the door behind them.

With the others gone, Yang pulled back the covers of Ruby's bed and slid closer, careful not to tangle or detach any of the numerous tubes and wires that monitored her sister's vitals. Wrapping an arm about her petite shoulders, the blonde curled herself around Ruby's smaller frame and stroked her fingers against her flushed cheeks. The nurses had bathed her in cool water before setting her up for the night, but even then, she was still so warm…

Ruby, who had been asleep at the time, seemed to react to her sister's touch; her brows scrunched tightly together before relaxing, and a moment later, her eyes fluttered open. Pale silver met warm lilac as their gazes locked, and Ruby gave a sleepy smile before nestling her head into the crook of Yang's neck. A lump quickly formed in the older girl's throat, tears burning at the corner of her eyes, and she was unable to repress the small sob that escaped her lips.

"Sis… what's wrong…?" Ruby murmured, nuzzling closer.

"Nothing!" Yang was quick to reply, clearing her throat and wiping her eyes. "Nothing… I just got something in my throat is all…"

"You're… really bad at lying…" her sister sighed, weakly pushing herself up. The heat had sapped all her strength and her arms shook with tremendous effort, but she was still able to push a frantic Yang away when she attempted to help. "I'm fine. Just tell me what's wrong…"

"Look, its no big deal. I'm just… I'm scared is all," she admitted, turning her head in shame. She was the big sister; she wasn't _supposed_ to be afraid - of _anything_! There was a long stretch of silence before Yang heard the rustle of bedsheets and felt Ruby lay back down, cuddling into her side; and instinctively, she pulled her closer.

"Don't be scared," Ruby whispered, tiredly; just sitting up had been too much for her to handle, and the sweet embrace of sleep beckoned her back into its arms. "I'll protect you…"

Yang stiffened at her words before leaning down and pressing tender kisses atop the girl's head; smoothing her fingers through Ruby's soft black hair, she began to hum a long forgotten tune; a lullaby their mother had sung to them years and years ago…

"... If I had words ... to make a day for you… I'd sing you a morning… g-golden and true… I would make this day... last for all time.. then fill the night... deep in moonshine…" Soft, sad and delicate - and extremely out of key - Yang sang through quiet sobs and hiccups; unaware of the glowing eyes that watched from the shadows - unseen and unheard by any person but one…

"_**Sleep, child, and rest. I have you now."**_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I am officially _screwed_ after this last chapter. I would have had this posted a day or two ago if not for that last scene holding me back. It was extremely depressing writing the scenes before it, but then I got to the Yang and Ruby part at the end and I was just like, "... fuck. I can't do it." So I struggled a lot with that (still struggling now.. I mean is it _normal_ that I feel guilty about putting fictional characters through these sorts of things? I'm so going to writers' hell for this...) I barely know how I'll get through the rest of the chapters since they're all going to be extremely 'touchy feely' from now on. _Damn it. _**

**Anyway, just a few things I'd like to mention:**

**1. The very first scene will be partially addressed in the next chapter. Ruby did not just magically forget it all happened; simply chalk it up to her being sick, delirious, medicated, and all that fun stuff (not really).**

**2. The song Yang sings... kudos to anyone who knows where its from. If you're a 90's kid, you should know it (if not, I sincerely apologize for your lack of childhood)! My mom used to sing it to me all the time before she passed away, and then my older sister took that job up and I just had to include it. The nostalgia...**

**3. The last thing I'd like to mention is probably the most important, so listen up (read up?) closely: Please don't place too many expectations on myself or this story. Not to call anyone out, but I've been receiving some PMs from readers 'aggressively' suggesting how I should or should not be writing my story, and its starting to turn me off of writing as a whole. This has happened to me before, when I wrote under a different account and in a different category... but I really, really like the RWBY section.. so please don't scare me away from it. Lol. This is a hobby first and foremost, so when you read the rest of my story... please just remember that. **

**That's about it. Reviews, comments and criticism are always welcome! (just no demands!)**


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